The Accretion Explorer Interferometer (AEI) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Final Report
Abstract
We must create superb X-ray images to understand the detailed physical processes behind some of the most powerful astronomical objects. The need to achieve this capability has been known for decades. But as time proceeds, X-ray astronomy falls further behind other wavebands that are steadily increasing their imaging capacity. Radio astronomy in particular has reached an angular resolution on the order of micro arcseconds via aperture synthesis interferometry, using the interference of electromagnetic waves from many small telescopes together to simulate having a much larger telescope. Developing an equivalent high-resolution capability in the X-ray band would be a game changer for high-energy astrophysics. We will understand how supermassive black holes grow and evolve. We will learn what powers astrophysical jets. We will learn how young, active stars affect the habitability of their planets. Technologically, our NIAC study has shown that the Accretion Explorer Interferometer (AEI) concept, unlike the original MAXIM concept, is more feasible in operation, being only 2 km long, versus approximately 450 km. Our study has also shown that satellite station keeping is possible, leveraging from LISA pathfinder technology, and using large mirror flats plus an X-ray beamsplitter for enabling technology is feasible.
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BibTeX
@misc{weaver2026accretion,
title = {{The Accretion Explorer Interferometer (AEI) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Final Report}},
author = {Kimberly A. Weaver and Jenna M. Cann and Kenneth Carpenter and Maurice Leutenegger and Takashi Okajima and Scott Rohrbach and Liz Matson and Craig Stevens and George Bussey and Jean-Etienne Dongmo and David Kim and Jess Lewis and Khashayar Parsay and Sharon Peabody and Alison Rao and Sara Riall and Marta Shelton and Kan Yang and Isabella Carlton and Webster Cash and Kaylee DeGennaro and Emma Kleiner and John Krizmanic and Erini Lambrides and Miranda McCarthy and Jeffrey McKaig and Atul Mohan and Teresa Monsue and Ryan Pfeifle and Mainak Singha and Melville Ulmer and Laura D. Vega and Kelly E. Whalen},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.03159},
eprint = {2609.03159},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03159},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Accretion Explorer Interferometer (AEI) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Final Report
AU - Kimberly A. Weaver
AU - Jenna M. Cann
AU - Kenneth Carpenter
AU - Maurice Leutenegger
AU - Takashi Okajima
AU - Scott Rohrbach
AU - Liz Matson
AU - Craig Stevens
AU - George Bussey
AU - Jean-Etienne Dongmo
AU - David Kim
AU - Jess Lewis
AU - Khashayar Parsay
AU - Sharon Peabody
AU - Alison Rao
AU - Sara Riall
AU - Marta Shelton
AU - Kan Yang
AU - Isabella Carlton
AU - Webster Cash
AU - Kaylee DeGennaro
AU - Emma Kleiner
AU - John Krizmanic
AU - Erini Lambrides
AU - Miranda McCarthy
AU - Jeffrey McKaig
AU - Atul Mohan
AU - Teresa Monsue
AU - Ryan Pfeifle
AU - Mainak Singha
AU - Melville Ulmer
AU - Laura D. Vega
AU - Kelly E. Whalen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.03159
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03159
AB - We must create superb X-ray images to understand the detailed physical processes behind some of the most powerful astronomical objects. The need to achieve this capability has been known for decades. But as time proceeds, X-ray astronomy falls further behind other wavebands that are steadily increasing their imaging capacity. Radio astronomy in particular has reached an angular resolution on the order of micro arcseconds via aperture synthesis interferometry, using the interference of electromagnetic waves from many small telescopes together to simulate having a much larger telescope. Developing an equivalent high-resolution capability in the X-ray band would be a game changer for high-energy astrophysics. We will understand how supermassive black holes grow and evolve. We will learn what powers astrophysical jets. We will learn how young, active stars affect the habitability of their planets. Technologically, our NIAC study has shown that the Accretion Explorer Interferometer (AEI) concept, unlike the original MAXIM concept, is more feasible in operation, being only 2 km long, versus approximately 450 km. Our study has also shown that satellite station keeping is possible, leveraging from LISA pathfinder technology, and using large mirror flats plus an X-ray beamsplitter for enabling technology is feasible.
ER -